Andrew Sherborne maintained his fine form with the putter to romp to the top of the leaderboard at the halfway stage of the Tusker Kenya Open in Nairobi.

A second round 67 for a tally of 133, nine under par, leaves him a shot clear of overnight leader Alan McLean, and three ahead of fellow Englishmen Lee James and Sam Walker and Frenchman Jean-Francois Lucquin.

Sherborne, who is hoping to regain his Tour card through the Challenge Tour this year, made the best possible start with a birdie at the long 10th, his opening hole. Although he dropped a shot at 13, further birdies at the 17th - from eight feet - at the long 18th, with two putts, saw him out in 32.

Two putts from 20 feet brought him a further birdie at the par-five fourth, while he also birdied the long sixth. Unfortunately, the round had a disappointing finale when he took a bogey-five at the ninth.

"I just continued the good work of yesterday," he said.

Unlike Sherborne, McLean, the South African-based Scot, didn't find his touch on the greens and made no progress with a level-par front nine. But things got better on the homeward stretch with three birdies and one bogey.

James, Walker and Lucquin all returned 68 for 136, Walker's being particularly impressive as he was three over after four holes. He topped his drive 180 yards off the first to make a bogey five, then dropped another shot at the second when he missed the green.

He found further trouble at the long fourth when he took six from the rough and matters looked like turning worse when he found the trees at the long sixth. But he came out to five feet and holed the putt for birdie.

That proved the spark to light the fire and the Birmingham lad, who celebrated his 23rd birthday on Thursday, then birdied the seventh and added four more in a homeward 32.

Hertfordshire-based Philip Golding produced the best return of the day with a 64 for 140, which enabled him to beat the cut comfortably after an opening 76.

The score came as a complete surprise to the 38 year old who has been injured since November's Qualifying School with tennis elbow.

"I didn't play at all until last week and I'm still in pain," he said. "I didn't expect to do anything this week so this has come as a complete surprise."

Ashley Roestoff from South Africa returned 65 to move into joint eighth place with fellow Springbok Wallie Coetsee and Alvaro Salto of Spain on 138, while two 66s were also recorded, by Frenchman Thomas Besancenez and by England’s Michael Archer.

The cut came at one-over-par 143 with 53 players surviving for the weekend including three Kenyans, Dismas Indiza on 142 and Fred Kamau and amateur Kumar Dhall on 143.